Back-pedaling brake.



No. 647,982. Patented Apr. 24, I900.

-J. W. 'UWEN.

BACK P EDALING BRAKE.

(Application filed Nov. 27, 1899.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

JAMES WESLEY Ol/VEN, OF ITHACA, NElV YORK.

BACK-PEDALING BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,982, dated April24, 1900. Application filed Nove ber 27,1899. slain in. 738,428. onmodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J AMES WEsLEY OWEN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ithaca, in the county of Tompkins and State of New York,have invented a new and useful Brake, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of this invention is to provide what is now known in the artas a back-pedaling brake for foot-propelled vehicles, the same beingespecially designed for use in connection with bicycles of the safetytype, although it will be apparent as the description proceeds that thebrake mechanism may be employed upon any kind of foot-propelled or othervehicle in which chain-and-sprocket driving-gear is employed forimparting motion to one of the carrying-wheels of the machine.

The primary object of the invention is to provide such a brake havingbut few parts, which are of strong and durable construction and whichare therefore not liable to get out of order and render the brakeinoperative; also, to construct the brake in such manner that it may bereadily adjusted to any bicycle already in use or on the market.

The detailed objects and advantages of the invention will appear morefully in the course of the ensuing description.

The invention consists in a wheel-brake embodying certain novel featuresand details of construction and arrangements of parts, as

hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings, andincorporated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of asufficient portion of a bicycle to illustrate the application of theimproved brake thereto looking toward that side of the machine uponwhich the driving sprocket-wheel is arranged. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview taken adjacent to the crankhanger, omitting the drivinggear. Fig.3is avertical cross-section taken about in line with the trip-arm andextending through the frame and drive-sprocket to show the relationbetween the trip-lever and said sprocketwheel. Fig. 4 is a detailsectional view of the rear-wheel clutch.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

'20 to the extremity of the trip-lever.

For convenience in illustrating the present invention I have shown thebrake applied to the driving-wheel of an ordinary safety-bicycle. Thebrake comprises, essentially, the brake-shoe 1, having a shank 2, theshoe and shank being arranged below the rear fork or bottom runs of themachine-frame and the shank extending upwardly, Where it is pivotallyconnected at 3 to a lug or car 4 on a clip or bracket 5, arrangedbetween the rear fork members 6 and secured to, upon, or around thetie-brace 7, which connects the rear fork members in front of the rearor driving wheel 8. Where no such tie-brace 7 is employed, the bracketor clip may be attached to the machine in any other way which willsuggest it'- self to the manufacturer, the essential feature being thata fulcrum be provided on the machine-frame adjacent to the rear wheelupon which the brake-shoe and its shank may be pivotally hung. Connectedwith the crankhanger 9 is another clip or'bracket 10, having one or moredepending lugs 11, adapted to receive a pin 12, which forms the fulcrumfor one end of one of a pair of toggle-levers 13. The toggle-levers 13are pivotally connected at their adjoining ends by means of aknucklejoint 14, and while the forward member of the togglelevers isfulcrumed on the bracket which is attached to the crank-hanger the otheror rear member of the toggle-levers is pivotally connected at 15 to thebrake-shoe 1.

The toggle-levers are actuated by means of a trip-lever 16, whichextends transversely of the machine-frame, being fulcrumed at one end,as at 17, on a bracket-arm 18, attached rigidly to the machine-frame.The trip-lever is connected at a point intermediate its ends to theknuckle 14 of the togglelevers by means of a pivotal link 18, so thatwhen the trip-lever is vibrated it serves, through the link connection18, to pull down on the toggle-levers 13, the latter acting in turn tothrust or press the brake-shoe against the tire of the driving-wheel ofthe machine. The trip-lever is provided at its outer end with atrip-finger 10, pivotally connected at The trip-finger is also providedwith a rearward or inward extension orshank 21, between which and thetrip-lever 16 is interposed a spring '22, which allows the trip-fingerto move independently of and without actuating the trip-lever when thetrip-finger is acted upon by the spokes 23 of the drivingsprocket 24 ot'the machine. The outer end of the trip-linger 19 projects across thepath of movement of the spokes 23 and is adapted to yield out of the wayof the spokes when the driving-sprocket is moving in a forward directionor in the direction in which it should move when propelling the machine.Vhen, however, the direction of rotation of the driving-sprocket isreversed, any one of the spokes is adapted to strike against theprojecting trip-finger 19, and as the latter cannot yield out of the wayin that direction the trip-lever 16 will as a result he vibrated and itsouter end carried downward, and by reason of its linked connection withthe toggleleve'rs it will straighten out said levers and press thebrake-shoe against the tire of the driving-wheel.

The rear sprocket of the rear or driving wheel of the machine isequipped with a backing clutch or ratchet, so as to allow saiddriving-wheel to continue its forward rotation when the rider bybackward pressure on the pedal stops the pedals and forwarddriving-sprocket of the machine. The rider thus by stopping the pedalsthrows the drivinggear out of action and by back -pedaling throws thetrip-lever into operation, with the result above explained.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a simple, cheap, reliable, andefficient backpedaling brake which maybe applied to and used inconnection with any foot-propelled vehicle or upon any machine employingchain-and-sprocket d riving-gear. The brake is, however, especiallydesigned for bicycles and is adapted to be applied to machines alreadyin use or on the market, requiring no special alteration of the machineor modification of the construction thereof. A retracting-spring 25connects with the brakeshoe and operates to throw the brake-shoe off thewheel.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, andmany advanages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to besecured by Letters Patent, is--- 1. In a back-pedaling brake forchain-andsprocket driven vehicles, the combination with a drivingelement, and a clutch-controlled driven element, of a spring-repressedbrake-shoe, a toggle mechanism in operative relation to said shoe and toa point of resistance, and means operable by one of the gear elements toactuate said shoe through the toggle mechanism, as set forth.

2. In a back-pedaling brake for chain-andsprocket-driven vehicles, thecombination with a driving element, and a clutch-controlled drivenelement, of a brake-shoe, a toggle mechanism connected to the shoe andto a point of resistance, a fixed support, a triparm disposed across andconnected to the toggle mechanism and also pivoted to the fixed support,and a yieldable finger connected to the triparm and disposed in the pathof one of the gear elements, substantially as described.

3. A wheel-brake comprising a brake-shoe, toggle-levers connectedtherewith and to a fixed point of resistance, a trip-lever connectedwith the toggle-levers, a driving element arranged to operate thetrip-lever, and a clutchcontrolled driven element.

t. In a back-pedaling brake substantially such as described, a chain and-sprocket driving-gear, one of the wheels of which is clutch-controlled,a brake-shoe, toggle-levers connected to the shoe and to a fixed pointof resistance, and a trip-lever connected to the toggle-levers andprojecting into the path of the spokes of one of the sprocket-wheels.

5. In a back-pedaling brake employing a chainand -sprocket driving gear,a brakeshoe, toggle-levers connected therewith and to a fixed point ofresistance, and a trip-lever having a linked connection with the knuckleof the toggle-levers and projecting into the path of movement of thedriving sprocketwheel, one of said sprocket-wheels of the driving-gearbeing clutch-controlled, as set forth.

6. In a back-pedaling brake, a chain-andsprocket driving-gear, one ofthe wheels of which is clutclrcontrolled, a brake-shoe, toggle-leversconnected to the shoe and to a fixed point of resistance, a trip-lever,and a trip-finger on the trip-lever arranged for actuation by a movablepart of the driving-gear, as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES \VESLEY OW'EN.

W'itnesses:

FRED E. ALDRICH, KITTIE E. GILLnsPIn.

